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Our Mission

The Children’s Defense Fund Leave No Child Behind® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities.

CDF provides a strong, effective and independent voice for all the children of America who cannot vote, lobby or speak for themselves. We pay particular attention to the needs of poor children, children of color and those with disabilities. CDF educates the nation about the needs of children and encourages preventive investments before they get sick, drop out of school, get into trouble or suffer family breakdown.

CDF began in 1973 and is a private, nonprofit organization supported by individual donations, foundation, corporate and government grants.

About CDF-Ohio

Founded in 1981, Children’s Defense Fund-Ohio champions policies and programs that lift children out of poverty, protect them from abuse and neglect and ensure their access to appropriate and targeted health care, quality education and a moral and spiritual foundation. To support children and families in Ohio, CDF-Ohio works to improve healthcare access and health outcomes for children and their families, stop the push out of students from our schools due to zero tolerance school discipline practices, create a juvenile justice system that rehabilitates our youth and reduces recidivism, build a high quality and stable early childhood care and education system, and harness the statewide and national CDF youth and community networks to change the lives of Ohio’s children.

Join Our Team

Jobs at CDF

Employees of the Children's Defense Fund are dedicated to its mission to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start, and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities. The work is meaningful and the people are great and your contributions will continue to help us to achieve our mission. The Children’s Defense Fund offers a comprehensive package of health and wellness benefits to employees and their families to ensure personal and financial health and well-being, as well as to provide some protection from significant financial harm due to prolonged injury, illness or death. In addition to the health and wellness benefits we also offer employees a discount on personal computer purchases through the Dell Employee Purchase Program. We strive to provide all employees a variety of benefits that are meaningful to them.

Internships at CDF

Interns are a vital part of the Children's Defense Fund-Ohio team.

Our interns gain knowledge, skills, and experience in the most critical public policy issues facing children and develop a unique insider's view of non-profit advocacy, communications, and outreach, all while helping to make a difference in the lives of children and youth in Ohio.